Already, the Houston native was grasping at legend status, a title he earned with his previous work, both as a solo artist and with the Geto Boys. His solo efforts included two widely considered classics — his 1991 debut, Mr. Scarface Is Back and 1994’s The Diary, and he was just coming off the stellar 1996 album The Resurrection with his legendary group the Geto Boys, arguably their best effort.
But after he dropped The Untouchable, a nearly perfect album that showcases everything that encompasses what he does best as a lyricist and musician, Scarface’s status as one of the most important figures in Hip Hop history was solidified.
From the onset, it’s clear that Untouchable was veering in a slightly different direction than his hard-hitting, wearily angry previous solo release, The Diary. On the title track, the bass is barely there, slowly creeping to full sound just as Scarface starts his verse. Immediately, Face’s musicality is on full display.
The Untouchable, more than any of his others, aside from maybe The Fix, is a clear representation of everything that encompasses Scarface as a standout musician. His vivid, nostalgic storytelling on the Houston classic, “Southside”; his street wisdom on “Money Makes the World Round”; his critique of racist systems on “Smartz” with his Odd Squad co-star, Devin the Dude; his tug-of-war with his spirituality and how that mingles with his reality on “Ya Money or Ya Life” — it’s all there, concisely laid out over crisp, dark, and bluesy production from Face himself and his regular collaborators, N.O. Joe and Mike Dean.